Last month we reviewed how to complete the first three pages of your Common Application. Today we’re taking a deep dive into the four remaining sections of the Common App: the testing, activities, writing, and (relatively new) courses & grades pages. Unlike the first part of the Common App, these pages require a significant amount of writing and allow you to share more of your personal story with admissions officers. Keep reading to discover how to make a positive impression on your Common App!

How to Complete the Profile, Family, and Education Pages of your 2018-19 Common Application

If you recently created your Common App account and aren’t quite sure where to begin, you’ve come to the right place! Here we’ve outlined the most important components of your Common Application, beginning with the Profile, Family, and Education pages. There’s nothing we love more than dissecting everyone’s favorite college application. Are you ready to discover some valuable Common App tips? Let’s go!

How to Create Your 2018-19 Common Application Account

From essays and interviews to campus tours and costly fees, there are dozens of steps to applying to college. But creating your Common App is one of the easiest and, if approached in the right mindset, also one of the most empowering. Once you’ve set up your Common App account, you are no longer just a prospective student, but are well on your way to becoming a genuine college applicant!

It may be hard to believe, but it’s mid-July already, and for high school seniors, that means it’s time to start work on college applications. With that in mind, host Elizabeth Heaton provides a jam-packed hour of tips and insight. In this episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, Beth helps listeners understand a great way that they can use social media in their applications, discusses financial aid options for students looking at community colleges, and provides some tips for getting started on the Common Application.

When students sit down to begin working on their college applications, most are intensely focused on just a single aspect of the process: the college essay. After all, top grades and test scores alone are never enough to gain admission into the nation’s more selective colleges and universities. It’s the essay that helps students distinguish themselves, right? While it’s true that stellar essays are critically important to colleges that evaluate their applicants holistically, there are three additional components of the Common Application that provide exceptional opportunities for students to stand out. Will it require more effort from students to enhance these sections of their applications? You betcha. But when thousands upon thousands of students are vying for a limited number of seats, it’s worth it.

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The Insider: College Admissions Advice from the Experts is where College Coach experts weigh in on the latest college admissions topics. We cover everything from application timelines and strategies to tips on financing your child's education.